scandinavia lps a to z

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Scandinavian LPs and CDs A-Z

THE ABUSERS
The Abusers (That’s Entertainment)
This Norwegian band picks up the gauntlet from the New Bomb Turks, Dwarves, and Angry Samoans and, conceding nothing to accidents of geography, proceed to demolish everything in their path. This is adrenaline speed punk at the upper end of the scale...you can feel the blood vessels bulging out of your forehead just listening to the intensity of singer Marius Johnsen. The CD is made up of 14 tracks, and all are solid, while one, "Education", is a flat out classic with a brilliant guitar riff that’ll lay you up for weeks. There’s covers of the Angry Samoans’ "Todd Killings" and the Violators "NY Ripper", both of which do justice to the originals. This isn’t for the faint hearted, but if you’re in the mood for some slam pit action, line up here. (PO Box 6897, St. Olav’s Plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway)

ALICE IN WASTELAND
Red Eye (Hiljaiset Levyt)
On a coldly logical level I haven't yet decided if I like this record by Finland's Alice In Wasteland, but I play it pretty often and that must mean it's striking a chord somewhere. It's lush, cleanly produced power pop that sometimes shows a folky edge and other times a more rocking side, and I guess what bothers me about it is that the female vocals are so clean, so polished, and so professional that it rubs my punk sensibilities a little the wrong way; punk was about music that supposedly anybody could get up and play and sing, but Pikke Paananen has the sort of technical vocal ability that puts her well above that ethic; she reminds me in various places of Linda Ronstadt, Chrissie Hynde, the Divinyls or even Heart. But on the other hand there's the songs and the band backing...the music is a pretty tasty brand of guitar rock; it's got the right kind of mix (guitars and snare hits loud, and fuck radio if it doesn't like 'em!), so even if it isn't the wildest music in the world it's got a good punch and strikes a good balance between showcasing the vocals (which is obviously important for this band) and not being overwhelmed by them. The songs are all quite catchy and really well arranged; there's great vocal harmony bits in songs like "Man In The Looking Glasses". OK, I'll make a decision. I like it. (PL 211, 33201 Tampere, Finland)

ALIVALTIOSIHTEERI
Yeah Baby Yeah (Hiljaiset Levyt)
I wasn't too excited about other tracks I've heard by this lot, dismissing them as a Finnish version of Devo, but it's hard to argue with the bouncing opener "Yksinoikeudella" on this new lp...it hits with hard guitar punch and has some really catchy vocal parts. After this it's up and down...an AC/DC cover is followed by a loungey song roughly equivalent to "The Girl From Ipanema". There's a driving rock track called "Elamaa Avaruusaluksella" whose chorus sounds note for note like Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff". And so on. Overall, there's more good than not so good, and the variety is interesting to see since not many bands try it these days. Still, I suspect that there are few people who will be pleased by all of this. (PL211, 33201 Tampere, Finland)

BACKYARD BABIES
Watch Out! (MVG)
This CD has only 5 tracks, but they are well worth the price of admission! Blistering Swedish punk rock in the same vein as their countrymen the Hellacopters, these guys could be dismissed as a copy of that band, except that it turns out that they’ve been going since 1989 and the Hellacopters were founded by one of their guitar players when the Backyard Babies hit a slack period. So much for that idea. At any rate, this stuff removes oil-based paint at 50 meters…pissed at the world vocals, ripping guitars, punishing drums, and powerhouse bass. Makes the New Bomb Turks sound like a bunch of nannies. Hard to pick a favorite since all the tracks are great, but the stuttering vocal of "UFO Romeo" probably gives it the nod. Wow!

THE BASEMENT BRATS
Curse Of The Brats (1+2)
The Bratbeat (That’s Entertainment)
The Ramones? Never heard of ‘em. But this Norwegian outfit is a band well worth searching out, because they’ll make you feel like the torch has been successfully passed. Curse Of The Brats is the more recent release of these two, but it’s the older material...a collection of songs from an assortment of eps, vinyl mini-lps, compilation tracks, and unreleased demos that hangs together remarkably well. It kicks off with a great cover of Front Page’s Norwegian punk classic "Monster" and proceeds through 24 more wonderful punk/pop songs, where when we say punk/pop, we mean the way the Ramones blended punk and pop, not like some Epitaph band or that sort of thing. Singer Ole Olsen has a great voice that conveys teen angst like few singers can; it’s great for these rocking tales of love gone bad (or now and then, love gone good). The guitar is loud and slashing, like the Devil Dogs at their best, and some of the songs seem like they could be Devil Dogs songs (like "Big Burden"), except they aren’t. But the Brats have a better sense of pop than the Devil Dogs, who started out great but haven’t matched their first lp.

The Bratbeat came out before Curse, but was recorded later. It’s too bad that the tension of recording these songs eventually led to the departure of the Brats lead singer, since as good as Curse Of The Brats is, this CD is better. In fact, The Bratbeat is as good as the Ramones’ Road To Ruin or the Undertones first album, which for me is as good as it gets. And this is no idle talk, either; I’ve listened to this CD almost daily for six months waiting to see if my enjoyment of it would start to fade before I made any rash statements about it, but I find that each day I still want to play it just as much or more. Ole Olsen felt that the band was getting too poppy and too polished and that the songs were too hard to sing for him, but the result is a masterpiece. The vocals are even better than on Curse, the songs are better, and the production and mix have attained some kind of magical balance. The rippling bass lines, crunching guitar, and the propulsive beat of the drums are just great. And what songs! Check out "Ordinary Guy", which has the most amazingly melancholy chorus, some great subtle parts in the verses, and then some crunching rhythm parts. This song is a rock and roll rollercoaster all by itself...the kind of song everybody seems to have forgotten about these days in the rush for loud guitars at the expense of all else. Then there’s "Girl Of Mine", with Steve Diggle styled leads and great "shoo-wop" backing vocals. This song ends and the all out attack of "Just Can’t Help It" comes next...it highlights one of the little touches that makes this record so great; the way drummer Mads Bratman switches from tightly closed high hat to slightly open to make the rides go from loud and raw to quiet and driving to complement the guitars as they switch from ringing chords to muted crunch. Killer! "You’ve Got Me Shaking" has an ungodly stop-start guitar bit in the verses and then rockets off for the chorus. And then "Get Down " comes next with a brain-eating lead guitar riff and hot tempo. Downshift again with the positively luscious guitar licks and heart-rending vocals of "Can’t Go On"...just a gorgeous song. And there’s a cover of Stiff Little Fingers’ "Here We Are Nowhere" that’ll make you forget the original, as good as it was. Of 14 songs, only 4 are over 3 minutes long, and more than half are under two minutes. These songs are direct and to the point, and they cut to your heart like a hot knife through butter. This is probably the best CD I’ve heard in two years, and you should spare no expense to track it down. Supposedly it’s also out on the Dutch Screaming Apple label on vinyl. Find it!

THE BITTERSWEETS
Lesson One (That’s Entertainment)
Another absolutely gobsmacking brilliant CD from Norway, of all places! The Bittersweets serve up one track after another of crackling punk pop anthems loaded with ringing guitars, Thunders-like leads, snappy drums, cool keyboards and woah-oh harmonies. They’ve got the best Ramones tribute I’ve ever heard in "I’m Gonna Miss The Ramones", where they mix together names of Ramones songs to make up the verses and play to a punishing rhythm that captures the feel of the original (circa Road To Ruin) perfectly. This worked out so well that they also toss in an Alice Cooper tribute using the same idea ("Love It To Death"). They also cover the Saints’ "Story Of Love", which is the slowest song on this thing, to give you an idea. In between these they turn in 9 other tracks of their own that all pump and sparkle. The way these guys blend styles gives them a feel that clicks in right away but still sets them apart from all the other punky pop bands out there...that light touch of organ in the back and the panache with which they play makes all the difference. From singer Arne Thelin’s opening deadpan warning Get ready to pay! onwards, this CD is one kick in the backside. (PB 6897, St. Olavs Pl, 0130 Oslo, Norway)

THE COSMIC DROPOUTS
Groovy Things (Skyclad)
I saw that this lot were from Norway and I said to myself, we'll set this one aside for a REAL dull day. That day came, and when I put this record on, that day was no longer dull. This is the kind of full on raging sixties garage punk that made the mid eighties Swedish scene so cool, and it stands with any of those bands, including even the mighty Nomads. One of the coolest features of Dropouts is the way they alternate the emphasis of the various instruments, so that at one moment the sound is totally dominated by a Hammond organ sound and a moment later there'll be this hellfire lead guitar that sounds like Johnny Thunders on his best days, and then the bass will step forward and drive the song for a while. The songwriting is great on their own stuff...good enough to mesh seamlessly with covers like the Seeds "Pushin' Too Hard". Can't say enough about this one...if you like the early Stems singles, the Nomads, the Cynics, or any of those kinds of bands this one is a guaranteed lock on your turntable. (PO Box 666, Middlesex, NJ 08846)

THE COSMIC DROPOUTS
Hoolabaloo! (That’s Entertainment)
Sonic Circus (Kicksville)
The Norwegians and the Swedes have been rivals for centuries; the Swedes with their flat lands and fertile fields have been the wealthier, but the Norwegians with their mountains and fjords have the best views. So the Swedes seemingly have the kings of garage rock in the fabulous Nomads...what can the Norwegians do to rival them? Plenty, actually, since out of Moss near Oslo come the Cosmic Dropouts, a band that doesn’t have to concede an inch to their better known Swedish pals. They actually had a US release on the now defunct Skyclad label a few years back (called Groovy Times), and despite being ignored, it was a great record. Sonic Circus is even better. This band has it all for garage freaks...loud guitar, classic rock organ, a big drum sound, a wild and powerful singer and tunes that are flat unstoppable. Best of the bunch on this 1993 CD Sonic Circus are "New Generation", with a great vocal call and guitar/organ response verse structure and a soaring chorus, and the closing "The Beast In Me", but surrounding these tracks are 10 other originals that just smoke. The lone marginal song is a dubious cover of "Dizzy", a late 60s bubblegum hit that resists all efforts to infuse it with energy. Regardless, this is a fabulous CD, easily one of the prime examples of garage revival music that’s been recorded since 1980.

Hoolabaloo! is from 1991, right after the Skyclad release, and it’s also a great record, though the songs are just a little better on Sonic Circus. Their remake of the Motown oldie "Leaving Here" is mesmerizing, and the epic "Into The Blue" has a tight, tense sort of feeling that feels great. I love the Nomads, don’t get me wrong; I wouldn’t be without any of their records, but the Cosmic Dropouts show clearly that they aren’t without competition. (That’s Entertainment, PO Box 858, Bergersborg, N-1501 Moss, Norway).

DEAD ALLISON
Toys and Dreams (Gaga Goodies)
This is the most ferocious rock and roll record I've heard in quite a while. From Finland, Dead Allison play a stark, hard rock and roll that's rendered harsh as the polar winter by the almost evil sounding vocal job. The lp cover features a closeup of black leopard snarling, and it's about as apt a picture as you could ask for. The thing that makes Dead Allison so good at this is that the intensity feels totally natural. The singer isn't screaming; he just sings in this dry, hoarse voice throughout. The band behind him plays a wicked, cold and hard brand of rock and roll that owes a lot to the Stooges but sounds much more updated than most Stooges-derivative bands. Dead Allison's relation to the Stooges is on the punk side, too, and not on the metal side like cretin bands like Thee Hypnotics (the fact that both these bands can be compared to the Stooges shows how useless the comparison is becoming). Dead Allison have taken the influence and expanded it; they've injected more punkish energy, more hardness and an overlay of wildly psychedelic wah-wah'ed guitar that adds to the feeling of impending mayhem when you play this lp. The progression of songs on the record just goes from strength to strength; Uli Hesse of Hartbeat said that every song on it could be a single A side, and I wouldn't disagree one bit. You can tell that this has got to be a great band, too, from the fact that as tight and well produced as this record sounds, it took only four days to do it. An untogether band could never have pulled off something like this in that kind of time. And although I've been emphasizing the harshness and the intensity of the music, it's not like it's a bunch of uncontrolled anger...these songs are very focused, with very strong, hard hooks. It's a rare combination, especially at such a consistently high level. A great record and worth the search. (PO Box 361, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

DEAD ALLISON
Second Coming (Gaga Goodies)
OK, if Toys And Dreams wasn't enough, now here's their brand new second album. And unlike the standard second lp let down that many bands suffer through, the second coming of Dead Allison is every bit the powerhouse rush of their first one. Singer St. Francis sounds like he's smoked half the tobacco in North Carolina to get his voice to sound this harsh, and the band is right with him with the nastiest snarling guitars, throbbing bass and precision hard hitting drums. This stuff is dangerous sounding. And it's also packed with songs that are memorable and varied from one to the next. There's no filler; it just cuts from one slammer to the next. Awesome stuff. (PO Box 361, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

DEMOLITION 23
Demolition 23 (Music For Nations)
Here’s the picture…a band fronted by the former lead singer of Finnish metal-glam outfit Hanoi Rocks goes into a studio with ex-Springsteen and Southside Johnny guitar player Miami Steve Van Zandt producing and helping out liberally with the song writing. Now imagine this as the result: one of the best punk rock albums of the last 5 years. No lie. This CD comes across like the album the Dead Boys should have made after We Have Come For Your Children. It’s 70s styled punk rock; meaning slower, more crunching, and with more room for hooks than the 80s and 90s brand. The guitar sound is enormous, and the rhythm section is hard hitting and brutal. Lyrically the songs are great, too…I love the line "Now there’s nothin’ straight enough to rebel against" from "Hammersmith Palais", and the whole theme of "The Scum Lives On", where all the good young rock and roll heroes die while the old bastard politicians live forever, is great. There’s 3 covers (perhaps too many); an updated take of one of the finest Dead Boys tracks "Ain’t Nothin’ To Do", where the words go "Gonna knock down the next suit I see", plus Johnny Thunder’s "I Wanna Be Loved" and the UK Subs "Endangered Species", all done in overpowering wall of guitars style. This is one hell of an album, and I had it on my list to find for nearly a year before I found it. You should look harder than I did. (888 Latimer Rd., London W106RA, UK)

THE DOLKOWS
Hush (MVG)
More slick and sometimes rocking power pop from these Swedes...it's no departure from where they've been before. Big problem is that they included a lyric sheet and you can see how totally lame the words are; much of the best power pop counts on clever lyrics, but there aren't any here. Still, there are some pretty good tracks like the opening "The Explorer", or "Beautiful Green", or "Monkeyman". On rockers like these (which make up about half the record) the Dolkows sound a lot like the Hoodoo Gurus. But there's too many ballads and mid-tempo tracks where they just come across as lame. And who needs a hoedown fiddle tune from Scandinavia?

EURO BOYS
Jet Age
For anyone thirsting for a different twist on music in this day of total punk rock overdose, Sympathy brings you Norway’s Euro Boys, sounding like no one else playing the planet today. Their all instrumental CD consists of 15 tracks, each of which could have been the theme song for a 60s detective movie. The surf oriented concept avoids another of today’s ruts by heavy and spirited use of horns, whose staccato blats add a great kick. And there’s lots of tasty surf guitar played by guys who can really do it. This could’ve been really lounge-y sounding, but instead they’ve pulled off a big coup here.

THE FUCKING WORLD
Gun Policy (Stupido Twins)
Not the name to choose if you want to make the cover of Time, eh? Well, these guys are from Finland, so they can probably get away with it. The name fits their music, since what they sing about is all the things that are wrong with the world. Their press release claims similarity with the Clash, but I'd draw a closer parallel to the early output of either U2 or the Alarm, although there's considerably less bullshit in the Fucking World approach. This record has a lot of variety in it, which sometimes can make a record seem to lack focus but in this case helps to make it stand up to repeated listenings. The only song I don't like is "Sex", which is plodding metal, but nothing else on the record sounds remotely close to that. The title track has the same sort of impassioned singing as on the Alarm's "Marching On", but the Finnish accents help alter the feel. Perhaps the most powerful song is "Wake Up Russia", a slower track that deals with the gradual loosening of the grip of the Communists there...a matter close at hand for the Finns, who share a long border with the Soviets and have been entangled in many battles with them in the past. "We All Together Fall" and "Day By Day" are two excellent rockers. If they get any more major league sounding they'll go into the same dumper that U2 and the Alarm fell into after promising starts, but for the moment there's little doubt of their sincerity. There's great sleeve art, too, with a picture of Moscow in flames that recalls the jacket of Midnight Oil's Red Sails In The Sunset lp. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

GOD'S LONELY MEN
All This And More (Hiljaiset Levyt)
When the term "power pop" is used, do you reflexively cringe? Well, stop it and quit being influenced by people who think that since you don't have to work to like music with melody that it must not be good. Good power pop is great stuff, and anybody who says otherwise deserves a boot in the butt which I'll gladly provide. Take this here lp by yet another super Finnish band (did you miss the start of the Aussie boom? The Finnish boom is on now...don't do it again!). Despite having the same name as the second Lurker's lp, God's Lonely Men don't trade in the same rama-lama punk style but instead weave some powerful pop music that's full of meaty guitar, rippling bass, roughened but melodic singing, and crackling sharp drumming. This stuff is never slick and it's always got punch, and it's consistently good across the whole record. They've got a particular knack for wistful sounding chord progressions and boy/girl songs. Cool! (PO Box 211, 33201 Tampere, Finland)

GREENHOUSE
Greenhouse (Stupido Twins)
Yet another outstanding Finnish band, Greenhouse come from the same town as Jalla Jalla up north of the Arctic Circle. Their raging "Take Me Back" was one of the best tracks on The Violence Inherent In The System compilation, and it appears here in remixed form. This record goes from one powerhouse song to another, and the only fault I can imagine that anyone might find with it is that at times the singer sounds a bit like Billy Idol. I don't have a big problem with that, because when Idol sang with Generation X before his head filled up with bullshit he was pretty great, and the guy here doesn't stray into the bullshit very often. Half the time he reminds me as well of the baritone of Porcelain Bus's Ian James. But Greenhouse are way more of a full on rock and roll band than Porcelain Bus...their music drives and charges more in the vein of Dead Allison than anything else I can think of...pretty wild and riveting stuff with strong and loud guitars. Some tracks are at a hardcore tempo, some are more straight rock beats, but all is tough as nails. The CD has a couple extra tracks taken from their singles in case you missed them. You won't find this in US shops or mailorder catalogs so get out your pen (or crayons) and write the label...there's lots of other great Stupido Twins stuff and label boss Joose will take good care of you! (PL 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

GREENHOUSE AC
In Technicolor (Tug)
This is the fourth album by one of my favorite Finnish bands, who along with fellow Rovaniemi townsmen Jalla Jalla probably share the title of the world’s northernmost rock group (the AC in their name stands for Arctic Circle). Singer Jussi Nykanen has an instantly memorable voice with a deep, throaty pitch that lends drama and tension to the chaotic din of the pack of Tasmanian devils that have apparently been released in the studio to back him. At times on the last two lps they’ve gone a little far into the Sub Pop grunge thing, but here as on their 1990 debut they stick to energetic, rocking tracks and the result rivals some of the best Detroit punk around.

HAIRIKOT
Iskee Kuin Miljoona Volttia (Sonic)
Oh, Christ, it's another one of those incredibly fantastic Finnish bands with an album that in any other time would appear once every ten years but for some reason seems to be popping out of Finland every twenty eight minutes these days. Just like Klamydia, just like Pojat, and just like Ne Luumaet (Ne Luumaet's Heko Luumaki produced this), Hairikot toss out 20 effortless tracks of phenomenally catchy punk pop that makes you start thinking that maybe it wasn't such a big deal that the Ramones did an album like Rocket To Russia at all. Besides, the Ramones didn't have to try to make rhymes with words with double digits worth of syllables in them. I mean, how many words do you know that rhyme with "korkeajannitys" anyway? They play fast thrashers, they play teenage tearjerkers, they play middling punk rockers, it's that same Ramones pattern and it's all amazingly good. Dunno what to tell you, except your SubPop records haven't got a chance. (PO Box 238, 00181 Helsinki, Finland)

THE HELLACOPTERS
Supershitty To The Max (White Jazz)
From Sweden, these guys have got the idea of being influenced by the Stooges down right. There’s so many bands that get touted as "Stooges-influenced" who really sound more like they grew up listening to thousands of pedestrian hard rock and heavy metal bands, but put this album on and stand back, because the intensity and mayhem are gonna feel like they’re for real. The record (yep, it’s on vinyl) kicks into gear with "(Gotta Get Some Action) Now!" and proceeds to pile on like the Oakland Raider defensive backfield from there on. These guys are mates of the Nomads and in fact Hans Ostlund guests on guitar on one track while Nick Vahlberg joins in the singing on another, but this is not a Nomads-like record. The Nomads are great in their own way, but they sound like guys you could have a beer with. The Hellacopters sound like a band that just as soon put a tire iron in your teeth and take your wallet and your car keys. This is messy, dirty, grease-under-the-fingernails kind of rock’n’roll, the kind that leaves piles of demolished equipment on stage and broken furniture and bar glassware off it. Chaotic, hell raising rock and roll. (Box 21 40, 103 14 Stockholm, Sweden)

THE HIGHROLLERS
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Snake Eyes/Sonet)
I’m amazed how a small country can suddenly spawn a scene where there’s a ton of bands pumping out great music...Norway’s on a tear right now, and the Highrollers are a great band from Langhus, just south of Oslo. They play a pumping brand of psych/pop...their opener "Come On Down" sounds like a helicopter attack fleet taking off, while the keyboard fueled "Baby’s Coming Back" is garage powered greatness that’d make the Cynics or Cosmic Dropouts drool. And while the Highrollers specialize in these high energy garage blasters, they also have a good knack for slower mood makers (check out "Killing Time", a brilliant 3/4 time epic cruncher), and it’s the combination of these with the mashers that make this disc have great staying power...I’ve listened to this dozens of times now and I’m always glad I decided to put it on rather than something else. When the intro of the closing "Not So" comes around with its emotive chord changes, I’m always a little bummed to think it’s the last track. But you can always play it twice! (Vevelstadasen, N-1405 Langhus, Norway)

HITMEN 3
Perfect Copy (Stupido Twins)
So they name their record with the same title as a Wire lp and they cover Wire's "Outdoor Miner" and we have these guys understood already, right? Absolutely wrong...Finland's (where else?) Hitmen 3 hit with the force of a hurricane from the opening powerhouse "No Limits" and except for that Wire cover (which despite their obvious efforts at restraint they still play about twice as fast as the original) the pace never eases. This is melodic hardcore of the highest water...and I'm not talking about something like All; the tunes here keep it simple. They have pop chord changes, a thrash pace, and the vocals are rough enough to carry conviction but don't ever descend into screaming. I could listen to this stuff all day and never tire. A world class record. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

HUNDRED MILLION MARTIANS
Martian Arts (Hiljaiset Levyt Records)
Besides being an all-round good guy, Hiljaiset Levyt label boss Jukka Juntilla also has a knack for digging up some of the best bands Finland has to offer, and without being bound to any one style. This outfit plays Mega City Four styled punk/pop without the overproduction that plagued a lot of records by that UK band. The ace track "A Perfect Pop Song" from this CD pretty damn near lives up to its title…3 minutes of irresistibly catchy tunefulness and one of the best songs you’ll hear all year. And there’s no lack on 13 other tracks…they’re all bursting with melody, harmony and energy, yet they have an original feel to them that most of the US punk pop bands seem to have missed. "Misery For Misery’s Sake" busts things open at the start with crunching guitar, great snotty vocals and soaring harmony parts. "Brighter Days" is two and a half minutes of infectious good time punk pop bliss, and "I Wanna Hate You" makes me think of an amped up version of the Soft Boys "I Wanna Destroy You". This seemed a little lightweight the first time I played it, but now I can’t stop.

ISABEL'S PAIN
Volle Kraft (Gaga Goodies)
It's pretty weird getting an lp by a band from Finland and finding that the cover has a photo of a burned up street in Los Angeles on it! Anyway, I can only write this review based on a handful of tracks because the thing was warped so bad that only the inner cuts would play. Makes a good fruit bowl, anyway. Suffice to say that Isabel's Pain play a harsh brand of music that could fairly be compared to a cross between Killing Joke and countrymates Dead Allison. They keep their songs short...one clocks in around five minutes but everything else is less than three. And unlike other bands with short songs, they don't play 100 mph to get there...the paces are solid but not outrageously fast. I don't reckon these guys to be as good as Dead Allison, but they have their moments. (PO Box 47, 13211 HML, Finland)

JALLA JALLA
Jalla Jalla (Hiljaiset Levyt)
This is a bit of an eye opener for me...after hearing their fabulous single with "Love Charging Battery" on one side and "Dead Man On The Ground" on the other, and knowing that their Finnish name meant "Faster Faster", I figured I had these guys pegged as a full on punk band. But the lp reveals them to be more of a rock and roll band; they play music with a lot of influences other than punk...some blues influenced boogie rock flavors here, some country tastes there, and even some ska bits, but everything is laced with a high octane rock and roll feeling that brings a smile to my face every time I listen to it. This is a band with a lot of strengths. To start with, there's great singing with a slightly nasally, slightly roughened up sound. Then there's the guitar, which fires off those Johnny Thunders meets Chuck Berry type solos at the drop of a hat. There's great songwriting that provides lots of memorable hooks. "Dead Man" shows up here again and it's great as ever, but there's powerhouses like "Bursting Into Tears" or the wildly out of control "You Used To Go" with brain grabbing riffs and catchy vocal phrases. Too bad they left "Love Charging Battery" off, but otherwise there's not much to complain about here. Best of all, it's a grower; good to begin with, better after 20 plays. If you're a sucker for fat guitar and pop flavored rock and roll with a rough edge, give this record a look up. It's a great one! (PL 211, 33201 Tampere, Finland)

JALLA JALLA
Crumelur (NKVD or Hiljaiset Levyt)
This is the second lp by this great Finnish band (see feature last issue). When I first listened to it, I thought it wasn't as good as their first, but after a few listens song after song started kicking in and now I like 'em all almost as well as before. There's perhaps not quite the non-stop cascade of gems as on the self titled debut, but there's still a large pile of aces like "Drop Out Beat", "Hollow Moon", "They Call It Joy" or "Minnesota Plates", a list that is by no means all-encompassing. The main difference between the two records is that all but one track of the first one was fabulous while on this one only about 80% are fabulous and the rest rate just real good. The style, if you were absent last issue, is raw rock and roll with punk overtones but an emphasis on a melodic but rough edged guitar attack. Jalla Jalla play lots of styles with splashes of reggae, ska, country, blues and r'n'b liberally applied. But the two main points are piles of fat guitar with lots of groovy bends and some great nasally snot-nosed singing. I thought they were so good I licensed them for NKVD, and the NKVD release has the whole of Crumelur and all but one track of the first album, so you can compare 'em yourself. A great band. ($10 US or $12 air overseas to 5310 Bragg St., San Diego, Ca. 92122)

JALLA JALLA
Snowman’s Land (Hiljaiset Levyt)
This is the third album from this great Finnish group, and there’s no doubt it’s their best produced by far. It might even have their best songs, although that’s a tough call because they’ve made some wonderful recordings before, too (check out their first two lps on the NKVD Jalla Jalla CD). Their music is a hard to describe sort of power pop/rock that mixes hints of punk rock, country, reggae and ska, but just enough to flavor things slightly rather than to give you a tag to hang on them. They have some of the tastiest guitar parts you’ll ever hear, with fat, bluesy guitar leads that would’ve made Johnny Thunders proud. They’ve been described as a tough, young Graham Parker fronting "Exile On Mainstreet" era Rolling Stones, but I don’t think that’s the right description, either. Whatever it is, they have a certain magic that on their best songs that just grabs you by the heart and won’t let go. On this CD they make that connection several times, most notably with the leadoff "Hospital Waltz", featuring a guitar riff that speaks volumes even if the band isn’t singing in their strongest language (lyrics are all English). Then there’s "Make A Deal", with more of the same sweet, sweet licks that almost bring tears to your eyes. "Free-Ons Play Tonight" is another great one...it’s hard to tell with their fractured lyrics, but this one seems to at least give a nod to their fellow Rovaniemi townsmen Greenhouse AC, another excellent band but only the second best north of the Arctic Circle. Jalla Jalla don’t try to be the biggest, baddest punk rock dudes on the street (these guys are way too nice for that), but they’ve got heart and guts and they’re never wimpy. If all you like is New Bomb Turks style bluster, you won’t go for this, but if you can appreciate a band that can convey a range of emotions in their playing, these are your guys.

JALLA JALLA
Graverobber’s Handbook
The fourth album from this brilliant Finnish band represents a case of marking time…this is a collection of songs they recorded for an assortment of tribute lps, and since a lot of the bands being paid tribute to can’t hold a candle to Jalla Jalla themselves, the result is good but not as satisfying as it could be. But Jalla Jalla’s slash ‘em up guitars can spice up almost any track. The thing kicks off with a version of the Damned’s "Love Song" that’ll make your eyes pop out of your head…just a brilliant, frothing at the mouth rave up rendition of this classic. That’s followed by the Spanish power pop gem "Dirty" which they also do in great style, and they slip almost seamlessly to a Hanoi Rocks tune called "11^th Street Kids". From here to the end the material isn’t strong enough to really make it be anything special…Jalla Jalla pump it for all it’s worth, but these songs just don’t cut it like their own would. Jalla Jalla’s style of power pop with huge guitars is unique and it’s best suited to their own material, so you owe it to yourself to find their Hospital Waltz or Crumelur CDs before going for this one.

JMKE
Savist Saar (Stupido Twins)
This is the second 12"er from Estonia's JMKE...the band that dared to play political hardcore punk in Estonia well before it was at all clear that Gorbachev really intended to loosen all the controls on political thought. Unlike the last one, this isn't a full length lp, but it still holds a lot of fascination as a view into how the people emerging on the other side think (at least how the thinking ones think, because I'm sure they don't all put it together as well as JMKE do). The lyric sheet is a real bonus here, because the words are sung in Estonian, but they're translated into Finnish (because the label is Finnish) and into English. Listening to them singing on "Emigrants In Our Hearts", the best track on the record, about spending three years wages to buy a western TV set because a domestic one is too embarrassing to be seen with is pretty poignant. The music isn't quite as good...it's a sort of industrial sounding hardcore that's plenty energetic but awfully harsh on the ears. It does fit the topics, though. (PL 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

JMKE
Kylmalle Maalle (Stupido Twins)
There's precious little hardcore music that I give a damn about, but here's a band that seems to wake the form up and give it a real life. J.M.K.E. are from Estonia, which for those who haven't read a newspaper since 1988 is one of the Baltic countries annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and now clamoring for independence. For J.M.K.E., being a political band is a real act of courage, since there's no knowing if the recent openness is going to slam shut as it did in China, and there's a very definite risk that presenting their views of the Communist government explicitly on vinyl could result in their being sent to a gulag in Siberia in a couple years if a crackdown occurs. It would be easy to compare J.M.K.E. to the Dead Kennedies, but I think they're better; they've got more consistently good tunes, and though there's obviously passion in the singing, it doesn't have the hysterical edge that Jello Biafra often comes across with. All the material is sung in Estonian, though there's a lyric sheet with Finnish translation (since the label is Finnish) and also English for those whose Finnish is rusty. Despite the unintelligible lyrics, the music is still very listenable and very powerful and very real. Not all the songs are played in a hardcore style, and none of this is thrashy...when the playing is fast it's still tight. One reason I like to listen to overseas bands so much is that their different culture shows through in their music, and this record is about as fine an example of that as you could ask for. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

JOLLY JUMPERS
More Than 100 Rabbits (Gaga Goodies)
The press release describes the Jolly Jumpers as "a bunch of backwoods hicks and misfits who still make a living out of farming and woodwork and are more interested in playing in the local baseball team (Finnish version) than the bright lights of the sinful southern cities." The music is the sort of thing you might expect from a band with origins far off the beaten paths...with no particular trend to follow, they've gone off and set their own. The result is pretty hard to describe...it's kind of a mutant folk, country, garage rock and roll sort of thing of the type that would fit well on the Homestead or Flying Nun labels, where it would be one of their best releases; on a par with the best early Chills records. The sound is big and wide open and the guitars in particular have a real bite to them that's achieved even when they're played clean and without distortion. My fave track is the rocking "Country Boy From Mars", which uses all the best tricks of building tension...starting without drums and bringing them in part way through, always building in intensity. This is one that's best listened to when you can pay full attention to it; cranked up loud at home by yourself. Then all the nuances hit hardest. (PO Box 361, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

KLAMYDIA
Tres Hombres (Stupido Twins)
Wow! Will these Finns never stop? Here's 19 songs from a band that's apparently been weened on a record collection consisting of every Ramones lp, the first Lurkers lp, a Sham 69 record and maybe just a couple other things to convince them to play just a little faster. They've learned well...this lp is loaded with great songs. Their all sung in Finnish, but don't lose much in the translation; I'm still digging them mightily after dozens of plays. The singer sounds a bit like Billy Bragg, but those rolling Rs seem to add a flair to the singing that's really cool. They've got the knack of shouted backing vocals down pat (they outdo Sham 69 at this game). It's all three chord blitzkrieg stuff with minimal guitar solos and nothing fancy, but it's all great, too. Seems like it's worth a lot more words than I've written, but it's hard to say much in English about songs called things like "Ruottalainen Oopperalaulaja". Just trust me, this is a brilliant punk rock record and you won't regret the effort required to track it down. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

KLAMYDIA
alpee (self released)
Joose from Stupido Twins was good enough to send me this even though it isn't on his label because I liked the Tres Hombres album so much. This is the album that came out in between the eps that were compiled on Tres Hombres, so it has a pretty similar sound. I think the mastering on Tres Hombres is hotter and gives it a little more kick, and the songs are catchier (probably because they represent groups of four of the best songs they were doing at any given time), but this is still prime stuff; basic ramalama punk rock that takes the pop feel of the Ramones and rhythms from hardcore and overlays it with good shout-along vocals; no screaming, just boisterous good time stuff. Try to get it straight from the band. (Klamydia/Riku Purtola, Emannankatu 15, 65370 Vaasa, Finland)

KLAMYDIA
Los Celibatos (Stupido Twins)
Their newest and their hugest...this has a big walloping sound by comparison to either of their other records. I thought Tres Hombres was great, but this one is even greater. They've added a guitar player and Vesku just sings, and he's really taken a step up...he belts out the songs with way more panache than ever before. Where at times he was a little too reserved and a little deadpan on the previous records (not that I noticed it until I heard him on THIS one), now he's really stepping out there. And as usual there's an almost unscaleable mountain of tracks on this CD...27 in all, each with some catchy bit to reel you in. And of course, nothing that isn't a 2 minute gut busting train wreck of a high octane rock and roll song. How do people invent guitar bits like the one that drives "Vanha holvikirkko" through my forehead and into my brain? These guys are amazing. They've gotten louder and dirtier and they're better people for it. Trust me. (c/o Twin Tone Oy/PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

KUMIKAMELI
Kourallinen Kaapioita (Stupido Twins)
Well, as I've been saying, it is a varied scene up there in Finland, and not everybody's playing guitar rock. Not this band, that's for sure. These guys have missed their timing by nearly 12 years...they could've been foreign language competition for Devo or Gary Numan or any of those bizarre techno-nu-wave-pop bands back then. Lots of weird synthesizer noises (but real drums, oddly enough). Not really a match for my tastes, but closet Lena Lovich fans can stand up and cheer. The rest of us will fix bayonets and prepare to disembowel. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

THE KWYET KINGS
Been Where? Done What? (Screaming Apple)
You probably haven’t heard of Arne Thelin, but you should, since along with Morten Henriksen he has been the most important figure in a Norwegian rock and roll scene that has been getting very interesting lately. In the mid 80s, Thelin and Henriksen started Norway’s best band ever in the Cosmic Dropouts, a group that could go head to head with Sweden’s Nomads. Thelin ran Norway’s best indie label, That’s Entertainment, fronted another excellent garage band in Lust-o-rama, then headed the Bittersweets and made the fabulous pop-punk CD Lesson One with them. This is his third album with the Kwyet Kings, who debuted with the more garagey Firebeat lp, but now are making some superb power pop with jangly guitars and a rocking, hard-hitting production wallop. Thelin writes songs loaded with tasty hooks and his bandmates add lots of nifty guitar flourishes that provide a real spark. Given that Arne is now working in Thailand and records and plays only when he comes home for vacations, the quality of this is just that much more amazing.

LITTLE MARY MIXUP
Sway (Stupido Twins)
There seems to be a certain percentage of the musical population that's always readily taken by all-girl bands; it seems like their musical standards change instantly and they can accept a lot less just because of the band make-up. I'm not one of those people, though I do appreciate how much harder it is for women to organize a band then for men. All that aside, let it be said that this is an lp of music that absolutely could not be made by any band other than an all girl one, and though it isn't my normal type of music, I find it very hard not to succumb to the innocent feel of it. First of all, these four gals don't follow the path too often taken of trying to look as bad and as "rock and roll" as their male counterparts (who usually just look silly anyway); perusing the photo on the back you'd never guess they could be in any kind of band at all...they look like the girls working at a church rummage sale. Then listen to the music; it's a real lighthearted pop/pock filled with harmonies that doesn't sound like they're trying to be like any other all girl band before them, but rather just trying to be themselves. These are songs that'll bring a smile to your face, and in some cases have you rolling on the floor laughing. The introductory "JoeKing" is a good example; the band sings giddily about ditching their boyfriends, moving to Mexico and falling in love with Joe King Carrasco! Talk about ambition! Then there's "E.S.P.E." (I've got no idea what it stands for), which starts with an a cappella intro in hysterically fractured accents: "I always wanted to talk to you / But I had no courage / You may say that I've been drinking / And you are right! / But if I don't touch him now / Maybe I never do". This is followed by a totally charming pop song dreaming about getting a house and settling down; not your standard rock and roll lyric fare, for sure. They've written some really good songs that stand without the humor aspect, too, like "Breakaway", which has some beautiful harmonies. The overall sound has a rough edged and honest production to it; most of the guitars are acoustic but the feel is still energetic. The combinations of strong Finnish accents, fractured grammar, beautiful harmonies, and rollicking music certainly makes for one of the more unusual cultural listening experiences in a while. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

LOWDOWN SHAKING CHILLS
...Up My Spine (Hiljaiset Levyt)
This thing started rather slowly and coupled with the photos showing the band members looking extremely, well, extremely "Guns'n'Roses" looking, I had some doubts. But halfway into the first track, "People In Synthesis" the tide turned and this became a damn fine slab of modern rock and roll. The first three tracks are all outstanding, and though some of the others could perhaps be charged with the sin of being a little on the mainstream rock side, by and large these guys play with energy, heart and spirit that aren't found in the mainstream. Which is really what it's about. The singer is the main thing that sets the band off...he's got a good voice for shouting with melody. The other salient feature is heavy, riff mongering guitar work that sounds pretty damn tough in most places. Nice work. (PO Box 211, SF-33201 Tampere, Finland)

MILLENCOLIN
For Monkeys (Epitaph)
From Orebro in the center of Sweden, these guys play the Green Day punk/pop thing as though they were born in Berkeley. And their English is better than that of most Americans, so don’t worry about understanding the words. Their opening "Puzzle" reminds me of NOFX’s "Please Play This Song On The Radio" with its lyrics about trying to write songs and its high velocity tune. I usually find this style of punk to lack staying power, and although this isn’t a huge exception I’ve got to say that Millencolin have strong tunes and they play them with a hard punch. And it’s such a relief to hear a punk band sing about something other than getting drunk these days that even though the lyrics here are pretty mundane, the good time cheer with which they sing has me won over.

NE LUUMAET
Pahat Ja Rumat (Poko)
It's an odd thing that now that it's been 16 years since the first Ramones album there are relatively few people out there that heard the Ramones records in chronological order as they came out. For many people I talk to now the first time they heard the Ramones it was something from their sixth or seventh album, and they listen to the early records and think they're slow, or that the guitar isn't hard enough or the production is too dull or something. But for most people who did get the albums one by one as they were released it's those first four lps that really have the magic, and after that it only resurfaced here and there for certain songs. Yeah, they played hard and fast and by most other standards what they were doing was still great, but for the most part they haven't achieved real magic with any consistency for a long time. That's what makes a band like Finland's Ne Luumaet so incredible (see also the Pojat review, because this applies to them, too). They've obviously been listening to those first Ramones records (from the photos their singer even poses at the mike stand like Joey does!) and they've learned the lessons so well that they've actually made a record that transcends the language barrier and the originality factor and makes me as happy as those first four lps by the fab four. Just as the Ramones always had variety in their songs, just as they created irresistibly catchy and stupifyingly simple tunes, and just as they hammered you into blissful oblivion, that's what Ne Luumaet does on this record. I put this on a tape for my car and I find myself screaming out gibberish to it at the top of my lungs while blasting home from work. 18 tracks, all but one under three minutes, total jawdropping splendor. (Unitor Oy, PO Box 483, SF-33101 Finland)

NE LUUMAET
Laki Ja Jarjestys (Poko)
This is the lp that came out just before Pahat Ja Rumat, and it's every bit the equal of the new one. It starts with a great jacket that reminds me of the Ramones' Pleasant Dreams lp (actually it reminds me of that promo 4 song single that had the cover in black and white), and it's loaded with killer catchy Ramones-styled punk rock tunes, just like the new one. My fave is the looney surf tune "Maauimalaan", which features brilliant "Oo mow ma mow" backing vocals...this one was on a single along with "Tuomari" last fall. There's not a lot to say about this that I didn't say about the new lp, just it's great and you need it. (Unitor Oy, PO Box 483, SF-33101 Finland)

NE LUUMAET
Vert Ja Luita (Euros)
This one's a CD reissue of their first two lps, and the production and playing don't have quite the crackle and snap of the two other lps, but it's still got a lot to say for it. There's 35 tracks here, only one of which clocks in at over 3 minutes. The second half is first lp stuff which is all Ramones songs re-done with Finnish lyrics, and it's weird sounding twilight zone material for sure. The first half sounds more like some early 80s Oi band than what they became later...a raw kind of guitar feel and not quite such a blend of power and speed. Less essential than the other two, but still good.

POJAT
Irti (Poko)
Pojat are from Finland (so you can almost assume they're gonna be great) and they started as a Boys covers band of all things. You may not know of the Boys...they were a British punk/power pop band from 1977-80 who specialized in Ramones type buzzsaw pop songs. They put out three lps that are all pretty great and then became the Yobs, Britain's best Christmas act. (It may not make sense, but it's true.) They're an unlikely but a worthy band to choose to cover exclusively as they had lots of great songs. Pojat actually means "the Boys" in Finnish. Supposedly they've already done one record of all Boys covers, but this CD has them sticking mostly to their own material...20 tracks worth of irresistible bubblegum punk tunes all sung in Finnish (including the two Boys, one Radio Stars and one Ramones cover they sneak in). The results are every bit as fantastic as their countrymen Ne Luumaet (see elsewhere in the reviews)...the record careens from strength to strength. Despite the similarities the two bands are complimentary; where Ne Luumaet go for more of a straight 3 chord buzz approach that instantly reminds of the Ramones, Pojat have a guitar sound that lays out lots of Johnny Thunders style bent licks. Also, it's clear that Pojat look to the Boys for their vocal style while Ne Luumaet look to Joey Ramone. I can't pick between 'em; both are great and the Boys ought to be ecstatic that they were able to influence a band as great as Pojat, because it wouldn't take a lot to get me to say that this Pojat record is better than anything the Boys ever did, as much as I love 'em. If my word isn't enough for you, take the advice of Hiljaiset Records boss Jukka Juntilla who says that Pojat are the best band he has EVER seen live bar none, and he's been around long enough to have seen shows by the Jam and half of the other great punk bands of the late 70s, and also a pile of Ramones shows. (Unitor Oy, PO Box 483, SF-33101, Finland)

POVERTY STINKS
Getting Deeper (Poko)
These guys did a great power pop single of their theme song a while back, and I had some good hopes for this based on that, but unfortunately most of this is gussied up with too much slickness and polish and it loses most of the punk it could have had. There are some exceptions, like "The Only One", which really packs a good kick, but too much of this is destroyed by overly wispy vocals and too much jangle. If sugar sweet power pop is your bag, you might love this, otherwise beware. (PO Box 483, 33101 Tampere, Finland)

PSYCHOTIC YOUTH
Some Fun (Skyclad)
Haven't heard much great Swedish stuff lately, but this one's a breath of fresh air. Last I heard of Psychotic Youth was a four track single from a while back, a now suddenly here's a whole lp tastefully presented by the folks at Skyclad. It's a great one, I'd have to say, with track after track of hyper energetic two and a half minute pop/punk tracks with loud guitars and great vocals; loads of killer backing parts to make the songs extra catchy. Every song is short and to the point, tempos are fast and the playing is simple but effective. And although the vocals give it a pop feel, there's also a frequent twist of Detroit metal in there (check out the warp speed Stooges style riffs on "Fun Gun Treatment" or the monstrous "Another Stupid Jerk"). They also cover Radio Birdman's "More Fun", although they've popped it up a fair bit. I suppose it could be argued that there's not a huge amount of substance here, but it's really not important; every time you put this on it'll put a charge into you, and if it doesn't stick to the ribs that much, who cares? (PO Box 666, Middlesex, NJ 08846)

PSYCHOTIC YOUTH
...Be In The Sun (Radium)
Power pop or punk? I can't decide. I listen to the ooo-wee-ooo-ooo backing vocals on "Anywhere The Girls Are" and I go power pop for sure, but then there's the Ramones styled guitar and the high speed drum beats and I go punk. Whatever, file this near the Boys or the Lurkers, but it's got better singing than either. Fourteen tracks and only a couple over three minutes long...this is the stuff to be playing in your car when the top's down, the sun's up and you're on the way to the beach. The cover of Paul Collin's Beat's "Walking Out On Love" is one of the best I've heard, if that gives you an idea. And their own "Nice Girls" is equal to some of the best power pop songs ever...great power shift into the chorus and a universal topic, plus a screaming punk guitar solo in the bridge. A great one. (PO Box 271, S-185 23 Vaxholm, Sweden)

PUNK LUREX OK
Hatut Ja Myssyt (Hiljaiset Levyt)
Back in 1977, there was a Finnish band called Kollaa Kestaa, who served as inspiration for a generation of Finnish punk fans, including Hiljaiset Levyt label boss Jukka Juntilla and the youthful girls Tiina Wesslin and Riitta Suojanen of the current Tampere band Punk Lurex OK. More recently, but still a few years back, these two formed a band called Porttikielto and played sets of covers of Kollaa Ketaa songs. At one of these gigs, Juha Helminen, the guitar player from Kollaa Kestaa, was in the audience, and he liked them so much he asked to join the band. So Porttikielto split up and Juha joined up, bringing former Kollaa Kestaa drummer Jyrki with him. So that was the start of Punk Lurex OK I think that’s kind of a neat story. Except now for their second CD both the Kollaa Kestaa guys are gone and replaced by new members, but Punk Lurex OK has managed to record a fine set of songs without them, featuring great 70s dole queue styled punk music with that chugging sort of high hat sound that made the early Vibrators records so distinctive, and some strong guitar work, but then with these really sweet female pop styled vocal harmonies on top of the whole thing. Their first CD wore thin a little too quickly, but this one has much tougher production and really stands up well to repeated listenings. Knup rules, KO! (PL 211, 33201 Tampere, Finland)

RADIOPUELIMET
K.O. (Spirit)
Just to let you know that there's a continuing stream of all kinds of stuff coming out of Finland, the guy who runs Bad Vuguum Records sent me a packet of stuff to see if I'd be interested including this one by Radiopuelimet. They're not exactly my thing...it's avante garde hardcore, which is a tag that'd fit a lot of the bands on Bad Vuguum, but it's pretty interesting to hear since in other parts of the world nobody is playing this sort of music much any more. That's probably a good thing, except that you can see that there's a good bit more intelligence and craft in this music than in a lot of other hardcore that has floated down the pipes over the last 12 years. This is really intense, aggressive and tightly played. But it's still ranty hardcore. (Box 29, 90501 Oulu, Finland)

THE REFRESHMENTS
Fresh! (Gaga Goodies)
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Holy smokes, what a slab of power pop this Finnish band has dished up! One can only assume they took the name of the CD from the Raspberries lp of yesteryear, ‘cos here the Refreshments serve up their own style of miracle pop, loaded with big loud guitar chords and anthemic vocals. Catchy, melodic, and instantly accessible, this is record is just what you want if Material Issue aren’t putting out CDs often enough for you...it’s the same brand of music. Special kudos go to the classic track "Years Go Passing By", but none of these songs are slouches; there’s batches of really cool loud pop here. (PO Box 47, FIN 13211 Hamenliinna, Finland)

ROOVEL OOBIK
Popsubterranea (Stupido Twins)
At first listen I was tempted to toss this onto the heap of CDs to go to the back of the closet, but Uli Hesse's rave review of these Finns in Hartbeat caused me to bring it out again. What put me off at first was that it's rather arty sounding with some funky guitar playing and techno pop flourishes, but subsequent plays shows that there's some teeth in it that you usually don't get in this sort of thing. There's some really big guitar sounds coming out of "Equalized Evil Envious Eyes", and this continues throughout. "Finger On The Trigger, Transfigured" has more of the same...it's a really strong track with a unique guitar sound. Beyond that there's a long stretch of songs that rate acceptable but not much more until "Pull Push", which is a solid one. "Sports And Games" is the one true rocker, and even it has its quirks. I suspect that in another month I may end up revising my view of this upwards again, because it's an unusual record with a lot of interesting ideas that doesn't try to be obnoxious...in short, the sort of thing that grows on you. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

RUSSIAN LOVE
Hover Jack (Break)
I'm not sure who to compare these guys to. "Pop Strew" and "Lonely" have a herky jerky feel like a Gang Of Four song, but the singer sounds like Bowie would if he wasn't quite so melodramatic over every stupid lyric he sings. "Sure" is a punishing, driving rock and roll song. "Understand" has a "No Wave" style with a yoyo-ing guitar sound overlaid with odd guitar licks that sound almost like saxophones. "My Friend" is slow and muzak-like, while "Celebration" features a pounding, sledgehammer drumbeat. There's a truly bizarre version of the Zombies "She's Not There" that manages to work pretty well regardless. And so it goes throughout this record, lurching from style to style. There's a lot of interesting stuff here, and I think this record is going to grow on me with time. Of course, they're Finnish. (Box 556, 90101 Oulu, Finland)

SATOR
Headquake (WEA)
It's been a while since I heard anything from these guys (I've said they were Finns before, but they're not, they're Swedes); 1988 I'd say, when they had an lp called Slammer! on the French Closer label. That was a really nasty, snarling piece of Stooges influenced rock and roll. But now they're on a major label in Europe, which doesn't happen unless you veer somewhat towards the mainstream, although Europe's majors seem to have more variety than in the US. "Slug It Out" starts with a good kick, though it's a little too hard rock for me. From there is gets real disappointing fast, with one track after another having a big hard rock sound and sludge-metal rhythms. I apologize sincerely to Finland's Wolfmen for comparing them to Sator; Sator may have sounded like the Wolfmen early in their careers, but there's no point in listening to them now.

SHADOWPLAY
Dreams (Sonic)
This one's a four track ep by yet another band of Finns (anybody from Finland who is either not in a band, running a label, or writing a fanzine?). These guys are rather English sounding...the vocals are double tracked with one a low register dry voice like Lou Reed and the other a higher, passionate sounding vocal. It's a pretty neat feel, especially on "Dreams", which has a lazy sounding trumpet bit floating over the top of it as it builds to a powerful end. This stuff is produced so that it could be played on mainstream radio, and if that were to happen it would be worth tuning in now and then. Interesting pop played right. (PO Box 238, 00181 Helsinki, Finland)

THIS PERFECT DAY
C60 (Epic)
This Swedish band has several earlier releases, but this is their first in the US. Unlike the current wave of nasty Svenske outfits like The Hellacopters, This Perfect Day play loud but infectiously cheery pop that at times rocks as hard as their leather-clad countrymen. Best of the bunch is "Young and Stupid"…a simple song that captures the process of aging from teens to 40s pretty succinctly but kicks like crazy. And to show their perspective on their major label signing, there’s the rollicking "In Two Weeks You Will Be Forgotten". This CD features great lyrics and catchy rocking songs, and the flourishes of new wave-y synthesizer mixed in with strong guitar lends a freshness that’s hard to dislike.

VARIOUS
Finndies Volume One (Gaga Goodies)
I popped this one eagerly into my CD player the minute I got it out of the package...21 tracks by Finnish bands from most of the best indie labels in the country. It's got more variety than I personally would have liked...I go for the full on ragers, and though there's a good batch of those, there are also some examples of quieter bands. It's still a great introduction, though. If you like it rocking you won't do much better than the tracks by the Ravin' Seeds, Dead Allison or Jalla Jalla. But there's also great jangle pop songs like the Undertakers doing "A Block Of Flats", Dog Eat Dog doing "Jungle", the Living Drops doing "Hummin' Bird" or the Potatoes doing "Potaska". But despite my initial disappointment at not getting non-stop ravers, I've gotta admit that despite the variety this thing holds together great and the quality level is impressively high throughout. Over an hour of music makes it a good bargain even at import prices. (PO Box 361, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

WALTARI
Mut Hei ep (Stupido Twins)
Finland's Waltari sure make themselves hard to pin down with the four songs they pump out on this ep. "Sad Song" is a solid slab of hard edged guitar rock with a catchy tune. But "Ice Box" is your basic speed metal glop with lots of metally chord changes and that primal sin, the double kick drum. "Mut Hei" is basically a rap song, though it has a little more instrumentation than most rap has. Finally, "Days Of Distress" is more metal. These guys sound like they could make a good record if they chose to leave the metal behind, but this isn't it. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

WALTARI
Monk-Punk (Stupido Twins)
There sure is a lot of different music coming out of Finland these days. Stupido Twins alone has such an incredibly varied roster it'll make your head spin. That's good and bad, because it means that as much as you'll love some of their stuff, you may not care for others. These guys are very good at what they do, but I'm not sure I want them doing it in my house. If I was going to listen to metal this is what I'd put on...these guys play the most inventive and energetic metal I've heard in ages. It's stupid to review a record this way, but I've got twenty years of accumulated bias against metal and I can't quite respect a band that plays it. Too bad that for every Waltari there are 7 zillion Dokkens. (PO Box 301, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

THE WANNABEES
Vacation (Gaga Goodies)
Typical Australian lp with a picture of the Sydney Opera House in the sunset on the back. But wait a minute, these guys are from Finland! What's going on? Well it turns out that the Wannabees apparently have a strong enough affinity for Aussie rock that they went there and recorded this, their second lp, with the help of producer John Hresc, who's also produced a batch of other pretty cool Aussie bands. This record gets an even bigger assist from the Hummingbirds' Alannah Russak, whose feminine backing vocals add a neat touch of sweetness to some gritty garage rock. It's a good contrast to the Wannabees' singer, whose voice is a kind of nasally, alchohol and cigarette damaged thing that sounds a bit like the Only Ones' Peter Perrett with an accent. There's a lot of really good and catchy songs on this, like "Goodbye" or "Don't Talk To The Stranger", which are built on great guitar hooks. All of them are melodic and have that energetic 60's garage pop feel to them. There's a problem, though, which is primarily in the mixing...there's just not the punch it could have had, and I think it's because the drums and bass are mixed too far back and smoothed out too much. This isn't the fault of the players; they're doing a good job back there, but it didn't transfer to tape somehow. The net effect is to take what should have been a killer lp and render it just very enjoyable. (PO Box 361, 00121 Helsinki, Finland)

THE WANNABEES
Vegetable House Time (Gaga Goodies)
Wow; these guys have gone back to the lab and come out with an entirely new model! Gaga chief Miettinen sent me a master of "Stand Up" (which is the second track on this lp) to use on The Violence Inherent In The System compilation, but I didn't have enough time to let it sink in and ended up not using it. Now I'm regretting it because the song is starting to appeal to me in a pretty big way. This record is a major departure from the power pop of their last record; it's real heavy sounding but it's a unique sort of sound...it blends the kind of rhythms you expect from stereotypical SubPop bands with a big powerful guitar sound. My first impression was that it was totally metal, but that's changed now; what it is is a blend of metal, punk, pop, rap and funk. I suspect that if they had any way of getting played on the radio in the US, the Wannabees might catch a spark and become internationally huge and then all this stuff would get played so much, and copied so much, that we'd all get sick of it. But it won't happen, so don't worry. (PO Box 47, 13211 HML, Finland)

WILMER X
Snake Show (EMI)
Name a Swedish band that plays 60s influenced rock and roll and has been around for more than 15 years, releasing over 10 lps in the process. The Nomads, right. Now name another one. How about Wilmer X? They actually were the cover feature for Noise For Heroes in 1988, and they still haven’t quit. The vagaries of international distribution have made it much harder to track down their releases in the last 6 years, though…it used to be that better indie shops carried Wilmer X lps, but no more. I had left this band for dead after their Teknikens Under lp, in which they seemed to go for a more modern sound with a lot of synthesizers. I bought this 1994 CD on a trip to Scandinavia last summer when I found it in a used bin in Oslo just to see what they were up to, and what a great surprise! It’s a terrific return to form. Wilmer X has always had a flair for blending r&b and blues based rock and roll with pop, and here they do it as well as they ever have. Singer Nils Hellberg has a terrific voice that can growl in a way that makes him a dead ringer for Dr. Feelgood’s Lee Brilleaux on the more rootsy songs, but he can also smooth it out in a higher register for more pop sounding numbers. Don’t look for profound lyrics here; this is Saturday night party music for sure. Wilmer X are more polished and commercial sounding than the Nomads, and certainly don’t compete for the same crowd, but this is excellent stuff in its own right.

WOLFMEN
The Shadow War (Hiljaiset Levyt)
No sooner do I get through writing the Sator review in which I apologize to the Wolfmen for comparing the two bands than the new Wolfmen lp arrives in the mail for me to sink my teeth into and to demonstrate the point in spades. They've had more money to work with in the studio this time and the result is a much beefier sound than before. The sound is razor sharp metallic punk to the max...generally the choruses and verse parts are as tough a brand of punk as you could ever hope for, but the solos have a tendency to be a little excessive at time. Still, it's a small complaint, because there aren't many solos and the bulk of this fairly smokes; a powerhouse lp from start to finish. I love the drumming; Moke Laine is a precision hitter who plays simple but rock solid and fast (almost no rolls but lots of inventive one or two hit fills). Jallu Korpi has a great ripping voice...always gravelly but also tuneful and sounding right on the edge without going over. Despite the cartoon image of the band (the insert booklet looks like a superhero comic), only a handful of songs fit the picture. The lyric sheet reveals some fairly fractured English, but it beats trying to decipher 38 syllable long Finnish words! They re-did "Zombie Hop", the track that appeared on The Violence Inherent In The System compilation, and made it faster and sharper sounding (not that it needed it, but what the heck!). Only one track out of 14 over three minutes long. (PO Box 211, SF-33201, Tampere, Finland)

WOLFMEN
Urban Voodoo (Hiljaiset Levyt)
Fueled by Batman and Green Lantern comics, Finland’s Wolfmen translate cartoon themes to a rocking backdrop that’s three parts pogo punk to one part glam. The drummer has a unique ride style that immediately sets the band apart rhythmically, and while it works great on their own material it’s really jarring on a lousy cover of the Eddie and the Hotrods masterpiece "Do Anything You Wanna Do". That lapse aside, the rest of this is a real kick and probably the best of their three CDs